The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-17
TIE STORY OF A GAMBLER.
Overcome at Last by Hard Luck. lie Seeks
Tragic End.

Overcome at Last by Hard Luck, lie Seeks .
Tragic End.
Long Branch Cor. Phil adelphia Times.
The change in the temperature has
not eliminated the crowds who still
Ii ger here. Every evening the New
York boat brings back again the SAINT
faces, the strayed jewellers of Wal
street, who find in the music, the races
the hops, the roulette wheel and in
green baize tables OF Phil and John
DAILY rebindling of the fires which
have run low during the dog days
along the Barbary coast OF Wal
street. Thousands take in the fever
ish excitements OF Long Branch a quas
rest-a training school for the next
day, when they show up in good form
at 10 A. NJ in New York, ready for
the great game in Wall street, where
people sell short or besiege Russell
Sage's offices Tor puts and calls.
On the south side of the West END
piazza the other night sat John Pom.
dir, still a New York broker, with a
comfortable balance in bank. He has
tried all the games from poker and
seven up down to keno and, last Of
all, cribbage, and is not much the
worse or wear for his participation
in some of the greatest games Of
chance ever played on the American
continent. The clover blossom in
Pondr's buttonhole looked dropping
and faint with the heat of the day
and the still alive and alert New York
broker tossed aside a cigar he had
smoked to the bitter end and
seemed in reminiscent mood.
| asked: "Do you remember Ed
HIlson, q wool broker, OF Chestnut
street? We both met thirty years ago
at Joe Halls game in Walnut street,
Philadelphia"
Indeed do" replied Pondir, "and
thereby hangs u tale. No man ever
lived who was fonder OF I'LL games Of
chance than poor Hilson, the wool
broker. lie lived in Philadelphia for
forty years and was, | think, from
Asace or Lorraine, for he was Ger.
tainly half Frenchman.
"Hillson never had the Napoleonic
courage OF nerve needed to make a
great gambler, but with him it was
the fatal passion for cards.
"Men like Thomas A. Scott, all
nerve, with q will like Bessemer steel
make gamblers when they do play
OF whom the professional gamester Is
always in terror. And | heard it told
by a prominent Philadelphia that
about the time the Girard House was
built there was n big game OF faro go
ing on there and Mr.. Scott sauntered
in saying he didn't mind winning or
losing $4,000. Helost that amount
in three hours and walked out as an.
concerned as If he had lost pass TO
San Francisco.
"With such men gambling is an &C.
cident 1t never becomes the one alb
sorbrng passion OF life. Woe to the
man who becomes this passions slave.
With Hillson it was the one grand
passion, and faro was his favorite
play, a game always full OF fascination
TO men of high intellectual endow.
ments. Hillson seemed to begrudge
the hours spent in the ordinary avo.
cations OF business, albeit he was
recognized as the best wool buyer on
the street.
He had aplomb; was possessed OF
keen intellect and a wonderful fund oil
information, but he could never re-
sist the sight OF pack OF cards.
"Hillson had no domestic ties oil
which anybody knew. He paid his
bills promptly, and his accounts were
always closed correctly with the
houses for whom he worked on com
mission.
HE was satisfied with small win
nines, but it is the continual dropping
which wears away the granite shaft.
I'm 1870 he found himself 5000
behind. Hillson disappeared from
Philadelphia for one year. Nobody
made any search for him, as there
seemed to be a general impression
that the little -Frenchman
"would come out cat-bird" las they
say out Vest. And he did. In al
most n year to a day from
his disappearance Hillson ap
peared, full of chic, bright,